User Reviews

Nice hazy straw color with decent head. Aroma doesn't pop out but still has some very nice citrus hop notes to it. Flavor is similar. Nice citrus hop notes but bitterness is a little aggressive for the rest of the beer. Overall the go to beer that you can count on being on tap most places in VT.

This beer really shocked me. Unfortunately I couldn't give it a solid written review because I had no wifi. The aroma is fresh and citrusy/ floral hops. The taste is punches your taste buds with a juiciness similar to Sip Of Sunshine. Honestly would rank this easily in my top 3 IPAs. Starting to think Vermont locals are a little spoiled with their beer considering the rating. Next up is pieces of 8!

Just a solid beer all around. Is it the best IPA in Vermont? Definitely not. However, if you want some, a trip to the brewery for a growler fill is a cinch. No lines. Or, just head to just about any local restaurant in Vermont and there's a good chance they have it on tap. Point being, what it lacks in IPA awesomeness, it more than makes up for it with it's availability. Definitely a go to beer when I'm having dinner out with the family.

Pours a hazy golden yellow with thick, fluffy, white head. Aroma is of citrus fruits and pine with a slight touch of dankness and grassiness. Taste leans more towards pine than citrus. Not much malt to speak of. Finishes very dry with just the right amount of bitterness. Mouthfeel is perfectly medium for the style. Just a solid IPA that I'll continue drinking again and again.

Grabbed a Growler last year from their brewery in Shelburne VT it had a cloudy golden color an under whelming fragrance for an IPA. Not Hoppy enough for my taste but had very defined citrus notes. The carbonation was weak because it was a growler and I did not consume it immediately. I probably should have drank it fresh but I ordered Pizza from the adjacent restaurant to go.

Appearance: Cloudy deep gold with a bit of an orange-ish cast beneath a full head of creamy bright white froth. Looks like a glass of juice. The head retention is quite good and it leaves jagged, reaching streaks of lace as it goes. I'm not sure on where I stand with these cloudy IPAs but I'm just going to accept it and roll with it - normally I would have dropped the score, but at least this isn't 'milky' like some of them.

Flavor: Gently sweetish and crusty-bread maltiness is threaded through with citrusy and softly piney and grassy hops. It's solidly flavored but not overdone. And again, surprisingly, neither is the bitterness! This has a bit of the Northeastern IPA hop character to it, but it otherwise follows the structure of a basic American IPA. It's really quite drinkable with a juiciness upfront, somewhat toasty malt across the middle with piney and grassy raspiness, and then a dry, lingering finish that includes a little bit of all of the aforementioned.

Mouthfeel: The yeast lends a bit of a fuller feeling to the medium to meium-light body, leaving it more "medium" in feeling overall; and the carbonation is crisp but very fine-bubbled, giving it a bit of zest at the outset and more smoothness as it warms a touch.

Overall: Perhaps it's the freshness that's talking here, but I found this to be a remarkably drinkable IPA, and a great accompaniment to the Folino's pizza next door.

One of my favorite beers. The citrusy aroma is followed by a bitter starting taste, that transitions into a citrusy burst of tropical flavors to balance the brew. It goes down easy and is great after a day of skiing or hiking in the Green Mountain State.

had this on tap at EB Strong's in Burlington VT. overall a great beer... has a very pleasant smell and flavor, and is incredibly drinkable. mainly citrus and pine character, although it is well balanced by malts. quality mouthfeel and super refreshing! I would definitely recommend this beer and I think its a bit underrated.

The aroma is very citrusy and tropical, but also slightly floral as well. I get plenty of grapefruit rind and sweet orange, and just a bit of pine to add some earthy bitterness.

The taste starts off slightly bitter, but is immediately taken over by the bright tropical flavors. There's also a subtle, bready malt present that adds just a bit of graininess to the flavor which is very pleasant.

The mouth is medium bodied, with medium-high carbonation. Very crisp and refreshing. Slightly dry, but not a lot of lingering bitterness.

Overall, this is a very underrated offering from Fiddlehead. It's tropical and juicy, yet has plenty of bitter pine notes as well as a nice subtle malt character to balance out the flavors. It's very drinkable and goes down smooth. Certainly doesn't come close to the standards set by Second Fiddle, but this is still a very fine IPA and one I'd gladly drink again and again.

A very nice example of IPA. Cloudy orange pour with a piny hop scent that follows in the taste. Nice pine and grapefruit taste, with some orange citrus notes and a good bitterness. This seems a well balanced example of the style. Very well done, and I will revisit often.

Pours a slightly cloudy orange color, medium head with a sudsy, frothy lace that retains very well.
The citrus aroma hits the nose similar to an orange peel and grapefruit zest. Later, there are some floral tones.
The taste is smooth, clean and balanced. Several interesting things happen with the finish; at times it finishes sweet and citrusy, other times it finishes clean and mineral like, and other times it finishes hoppy and slightly dry and bitter. The mouthfeel is lighter compared to other ipAs; it feels like a really good session ipa. The carbonation is soft but produces a crisp and refreshing feel.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful understated IPA. Simple, clean, and balanced. A great ipa for those that do not want to be overwhelmed by hops.

Love the look and smell of this beer; but the overwhelming hops are a bit much for me. The mouthfeel is great, and the floral smells (almost a tart orange in there) are fantastic; but it drinks quite bitter, especially on the finish. I can always have this as a starter at the bar - but more than one is pushing it.

Pours a golden color with slight orange hints, a nice white head that stuck around for a bit (pored from a growler). Lots of grapefruit in the nose, and a bit of resinous pine. The taste is very citrus forward. Grapefruit, and orange dominate the taste, a hoppy pine taste is left behind in the after taste. Nice carbonation, a solid mouth feel. Overall, this is a fine IPA. Its not Mastermind or Second Fiddle, but not that far behind.

Having trouble with this. Had some at their tasting room and it was a lovely, not overly hopped IPA with a good dry finish. Bought two growlers. It has a nice golden glow, smells of lemon and grapefruit with some bread/biscuit. The taste starts with the fruit, but there is an off flavor in the finish that really puts me off. I don't know if it's something with the growlers or what.

Had on tap at Doc Ponds in Stowe on Sunday, 9/27. Pours a nice amber copper color with some haze, decent head that leaves lacing. Nice hoppy aroma on this one, resinous but with a backend of some stone fruit. Flavor follows the nose, it has a decent sweetness to it along with a fairly robust hop note. Very "east coast meets west coast". Overall a bit too bitter for the flavors that come out and the body is heavier than expected. A solid IPA, though, wish I had a change to try Second Fiddle.

The color is slightly hazed sunny orange with thick head of pale cream with fine bead. The smell Is hop forward with a citrus aroma with a mild tropical quality. The feel is very good with moderate bitterness balanced somewhat by the malt with a low sweetness and moderately carbonated with semi-dry finish.

The taste is very good with a pleasant hop flavor which has a mild herb and citrus blend with slight malt adding some sweetness to the taste with mild yeast presence. This is a very good IPA solid in every way.

Pours a pleasant color with nice head that last throughout the beer. Had on draft. Beer is well carbonated throughout. Lots of simcoe and mosaic hop aroma. Lost of west coast dankness and pine coming through. Some sweet malt and grain flavor comes through and lingers on the palate. Very well balanced and makes me keep reaching for another drink.

Pours a golden orange hue with a hazy clarity and a quarter inch, creamy, bright white head. Nose expresses citrus fruit, rind and light, toasted malts. Taste consistent with nose with the addition of a biscuity quality and an earthy bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an even carbonation and a kiss of acidity. Overall, a decently balanced IPA, but nothing really stands out.

On tap at Mountain View Inn.
I wanted to like this but it was not so great for a few reasons:
- mouthfeel is too thick, sticky.
- hops were pretty much like Simcoe, think DFA60, but not so well refined